Electrical power controllers have been used for the distribution of electrical power on aircraft and other vehicles. Additionally, modular approaches to supply vehicle power have been used to facilitate both maintenance and operability under fault conditions.
New generation vehicles have significantly different electric power requirements. For example, in aerospace systems, there has been a fundamental paradigm shift from predominantly mechanical or electromechanical control to predominantly electronic and computer-based control, with no or minimal backup. This shift toward fly-by-wire systems has been pioneered in Europe by Airbus and now encompasses safety-critical systems.
This shift in technology poses fundamental technical and commercial challenges, which require advanced power distribution controllers such as an Electric Load management Center (ELMC). Advances in switching technology (solid state) and computer control now offer the potential for fully automated electric power systems (EPS). A combination of solid state power controllers (SSPC), remote power controllers, smart contactors, and automatic system processors has evolved into ELMC.
As computer-controlled system technology advances more system functions, including power control, fall under computer-controlled command. A more advanced technology in the power control and protection is making its way into aerospace power systems to replace mechanical circuit breakers and relays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,047 issued to Darty et al. discloses a modular solid state power controller with microcontrollers. The modular solid state power controller includes low cost low speed microcomputers embedded within the load cards to control a number of semiconductor power switches associated with corresponding electrical load circuits. A master controller microcomputer on the controller card communicates bilaterally with each of the microcomputers embedded within the load cards via a serial data path that extends along the backplane card and interconnects the controller microcomputer with each of the load cards. Each of the load cards includes semiconductor power switches associated with the respective slave card, which are activated upon commands issued from the controller microcomputer.
However, the Darty et al. design utilizes discrete components to provide limited control of the power switches. Therefore, this modular solid state power controller with microcomputers is limited to basic on/off control of the power switches and does not permit local control functionality and flexible configuration of the SSPCs.
Therefore, it is desired to have an ELMC that includes integrated advanced power switch controllers that interface with the local microcontrollers and allow for additional control and configuration of each individual power switch.